Floating shelf system

ABSTRACT

A floating shelf system for a desk provides floating shelf brackets with plates mounted to both sides of a stud in a wall. A beam extends from the plates and have a fork with a pair of prongs secured along side the plates. The beam and the prongs are formed by a pair of outer square tubes and a center rectangular tube. The tubes form a rectangular and oblong cross-section with a pair of webs.

BACKGROUND

Shelves can he attached to walls using various support brackets. Somesupport brackets for war-mounted shelves are able to support more weightthan others. Brackets that are able to support more weight tend to bebulkier and more visible than brackets that support less weight. Aconsumer may find a highly visible support bracket on a wall to beundesirable in a room where the consumer wishes to establish a certaindecor. The development of shelving solutions is an ongoing endeavor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thedetailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example,features of the invention; and, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a floating shelf bracket in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective schematic view of a floating shelfsystem in accordance with an embodiment of the invention with a bracketof FIG. 1 mounted to a wail to support a shelf, such as a desk.

FIG. 3 is a front end view of the bracket of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 4 is a rear end view of the bracket of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional end view of the bracket of FIG. 1 takenalong line 5 of FIG. 1 ,

FIG. 6 is a right side view of the bracket of FIG. 1 shown mounted to astud and protruding through a wall panel of the wall. The left side viewcan be a mirror image.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the bracket of FIG. 1 shown mounted to the studand protruding through the wall panel of the wall. The bottom view canbe a mirror image.

Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, andspecific language will be used herein to describe the same. It willnevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of theinvention is thereby intended.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before invention embodiments are disclosed and described, it is to beunderstood that no limitation to the particular structures, processsteps, or materials disclosed herein is intended, but also includesequivalents thereof as would be recognized by those ordinarily skilledin the relevant arts. It should also be understood that terminologyemployed herein is used for the purpose of describing particularexamples only and is not intended to be limiting. The same referencenumerals in different drawings represent the same element. Numbersprovided in flow charts and processes are provided for clarity inillustrating steps and operations and do not necessarily indicate aparticular order or sequence. Unless defined otherwise, all technicaland scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonlyunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosurebelongs.

An initial overview of the inventive concepts are provided below andthen specific examples are described in further detail later. Thisinitial summary is intended to aid readers in understanding the examplesmore quickly, but is not intended to identify key features or essentialfeatures of the examples, nor is it intended to limit the scope of theclaimed subject matter.

The present application provides various examples of floating shelfbracket and a floating shelf system for mounting a shelf, such as adesk, to a flat vertical surface, such as a wail. Examples andconfigurations disclosed herein provide brackets that have a high ratioof weight-supporting capacity to visibility relative to previouswall-mountable shelf-support apparatuses.

When decorating a room, a consumer may wish to a mount shelf or desk toone or more wails in order to provide increased space for display,storage and/or work. Some wall-mountable shelf-support brackets arecommercially available. Many such brackets are mounted below the shelvesthey support and therefore remain visible beneath the shelves afterinstallation is complete. Other varieties of shelf-support brackets aremounted above the shelves they support, but likewise remain visibleafter installation is complete.

Some consumers may wish to mount a shelf or desk to a wall, but may notwish for the bracket that supports the shelf or desk to be conspicuouslyvisible. A shelf or desk that is supported by a bracket that is notconspicuously visible is sometimes referred to as a floating shelf,since the shelf may appear to float due to the low visibility of thesupporting bracket.

With some brackets there is often a tradeoff between visibility andweight-supporting strength because a bracket that is less conspicuoustends to be smaller and tends to absorb the stress of weight borne by ashelf over a smaller area. Consequently, consumers who wish to store ordisplay relatively heavy items on floating shelves, or utilize afloating desk, may have difficulty finding brackets that provide both adesired high level of weight-bearing capacity and a desired low level ofbracket visibility.

Brackets designed in accordance with the design principles described inthe present disclosure provide a high ratio of weight-supportingcapacity to visibility relative to existing commercial support bracketsfor floating shelves. In one example, brackets are contained in andhidden by a wall and a shelf. A wall portion of each bracket is receivedwithin the wall behind a wall panel, such as drywall, and a shelfportion of each bracket is received within a bore of the shelf. Thus,the bracket is hidden, and the shelf appears to float with respect tothe wail.

The bracket has a pair of vertical plates that are spaced-apart from oneanother and with a gap between the plates. The plates and the gapreceive a stud of the wall. The plates adjoin and couple to the stud,such as with screws or nails. The plates can have a size with a depthmatching a depth of the stud, such as 3 inches, with depth measured intothe wall and along the bracket. In addition, the plates can have aheight greater than the depth, such as 12 inches, with height measuredvertically and parallel with the wall. Thus, the bracket is coupled to aside of the studs rather than just a front of the studs for greaterstrength and greater ability to support loads. In addition, the bracketis coupled to the studs above and below a cantilevered beam for greaterstrength and support ability. Each bracket also has a horizontalcantilevered beam coupled to and extending from the pair of plates. Thebeam extends through a horizontal slot in the wall panel and into thebore of the shelf. The beam has a proximal end coupled to the pair ofplates and a distal free end.

in one aspect, the beam can have a fork with two prongs at the proximalend. The prongs receive the pair of plates between the prongs. Theprongs extend along a majority of the depth of the plates. The prongsare coupled to the pair of plates along an entire length of the prongs,such as by welding. Thus, the beam is coupled from a back to the frontof the plates, rather than just being coupled to the front to providegreater strength and greater ability to support loads.

In another aspect, the prongs can be a pair of square tubes. A centerrectangular tube can be coupled between the square tubes. The squaretubes and the center rectangular tube together form a rectangular and/oroblong cross-section. A pair of intermediate webs can extend between atop and a bottom of the rectangular cross-section. Thus, the beam cansupport greater lengths. In one aspect, the beam can have a length offrom the plates to the distal free end between 12 to 24 inches.

In another aspect, the shelf can be a desk. In one aspect, the desk canbe mounted so that an upper working surface is elevated at substantially28 to 32 inches from the floor for a seated desk, or substantially 36 to42 inches for a raised bar desk or standing desk. In another aspect, thedesk can have a depth between 18 to 30 inches. The brackets and thefloating shelf system can support 180 lbs up to 18″ deep, 80 lbs up to24″ deep, and 45 lbs up to 30″ deep.

Referring to FIGS. 1-7 , a floating shelf system 10 with at least onefloating shelf bracket 14 is shown in an exemplary embodiment. Inanother aspect, the system 10 can have multiple brackets 14, such as atleast two brackets 14 or at least three brackets 14. Referring to FIG. 2, the system 10 can comprise a shelf, such as a desk 18, mounted to awall 22. The wall 22 can have at least one stud 26 in one aspect. Inanother aspect, the wail 22 can have multiple studs 26, such as at leasttwo studs 26 or at least three studs 26. The wall 22 can also have awall panel, such as drywall 30, covering the studs 26. The wail panelcan have a finished surface, such as painted. The studs 26 and the wallpanel 30 can be vertically oriented and can extend from a supportsurface, such as the floor, to a ceiling. The wall panel 30 can have atleast one horizontal slot 34 aligned with a respective stud 26. Inanother aspect, the wall panel 30 can have multiple slots 34, such as atleast two slots 34 or at least three slots 34, each aligned with adifferent stud 26.

The brackets 14 are mounted to and carried by the studs 26. In oneaspect, each bracket 14 can be mounted to a different stud 26. Thus, thesystem 10 can have a horizontal array of brackets 14. The shelf or desk18 is mounted to and carried by the bracket 14. The shelf or desk 18 canhave at least one bore 38 in one aspect. In another aspect, the shelf ordesk 18 can have multiple bores 38, such as at least two bores 38 or atleast three bores 38. The bores 38 can extend from a back of the shelfor desk 18 and can have an opening through the back. The bores 38 can bealigned with the brackets 14 and the slots 34 of the wall panel 30. Thebrackets 14 are contained in and hidden by the wall 22 and the shelf ordesk 18. A wall portion 42 of the brackets 14 can be received within thewail 22 and behind the wall panel 30 while a shelf portion 46 of thebrackets can be received within the bores 38 of the shelf or desk 18.

Referring again to FIGS. 1-7 , each of the brackets 14 can have a pairof plates 50 to be located in the wall 22 and fastened to a stud 26. Theplates 50 are spaced-apart from one another and having a gap 54 toreceive the stud 26. The distance between the plates 50 and a width Wgof the gap 54 can be substantially the same as the width Ws of the stud26, such as 1 ½ inches, with width measured horizontally and parallel tothe wail, as shown in FIG. 7 . Thus, the plates 50 adjoin opposite sidesof the stud 26 and couple to the stud 26 with fasteners, such as screwsor nails. The plates 50 can be vertically oriented to extend up and downthe stud 26 with respect to the slot 34. The plates 50 can have a depthDp substantially the same as a depth Ds of the stud 26, as shown in FIG.6 . In one aspect, the depth Dp of the plates 50 can be substantially 3inches. The plates 50 can also have a heigh Hp greater than the depthDp. In one aspect, the height Hp of the plates 50 can be three times thedepth Dp, such as 12 inches, to spread the applied forces over a greaterheight of the stud 26, and to reduce torque applied to the fasteners andthe stud 26. The plates 50 can have multiple apertures at multipledifferent elevations with respect to the stud 26 to receive fastenerstherethrough and space the fastener along the stud 26.

Each of the brackets 14 can also have a horizontal cantilevered beam 54coupled to and extending from the pair of plates 50. The beam 54 alsoextends through the horizontal slot 34 and into the bore 38 of the shelfor desk 18. The beam 54 has a proximal end coupled to the pair of plates50 and a distal free end 58.

Each beam 54 can have a fork 62 with two prongs 66 at the proximal endof the beam 54. The fork 62 and prongs 66 receive the plates 50 betweenthe prongs 66. The prongs 66 can extend along a majority of the depth Dpof the plates 50. In another aspect, the prongs 66 can have a length andcan extend the entire depth Dp of the plates 66. The prongs 66 arecoupled to the plates 50 along an entire length of the prongs 66. In oneaspect, the prongs 66 can be welded to the plates 50 and coupled by aweld bead 70 extending along an entire overlap between the prongs 66 andthe plates 50, and on both a top and a bottom of the prongs 66. Thus,the brackets 14 can support a greater weight.

The beam 54 can be formed by metal tubing, such as square andrectangular tubes. The prongs 66 can comprise a pair of square tubes 74,For example, the square tubes 74 can be 1×1 inch square tube. The squaretubes 74 can be coupled to the plates 50, such as by welding, and alongtheir entire length and an entire depth Dp of the plates 50, asdescribed above. A center rectangular tube 78 can be coupled between thepair of square tubes 74. In one aspect, the center rectangular tube 78can be coupled to the square tubes by welding and can form weld beads 82along an entire length of the center rectangular tube 78, and on both atop and a bottom of the tubes 74 and 78. The rectangular tube 78 canhave a width the same as the width between the outsides of the plates50. For example, the rectangular tube 78 can be 1×2 inch rectangulartube. The plates 50 can be metal with a thickness of ¼ inch. The squaretubes 74 and the center rectangular tube 78 can together form arectangular and oblong cross-section. The rectangular and oblongcross-section can substantially match and mate with the slot 34 in thewall panel 30. In addition, the tubing 74 and 78 can provide a pair ofintermediate webs 86 (FIG. 5 ) extending between a top and a bottom ofthe rectangular and oblong cross-section. The webs 86 can provideadditional strength to the beam 54.

In another aspect, the square tubes 74 and the center rectangular tube78 can have open free ends 90. A cap 94 can cover the open free ends 90of the tubes 74 and 78. At least one aperture 98 can be formed in thecap 94 to receive a fastener.

Various aspects of floating shelves are described and shown in U.S. Pat.No. 9,861,198, filed Mar. 30, 2016, and U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 63/270,723, filed Oct. 22, 2021, which are herebyincorporated herein by reference.

As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singularforms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the contextclearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a layer”includes a plurality of such layers.

In this disclosure, “comprises,” “comprising,” “containing” and “having”and the like can have the meaning ascribed to them in U.S. Patent lawand can mean “includes,” “including,” and the like, and are generallyinterpreted to be open ended terms. The terms “consisting of” or“consists of” are closed terms, and include only the components,structures, steps, or the like specifically listed in conjunction withsuch terms, as well as that which is in accordance with U.S. Patent law.“Consisting essentially of” or “consists essentially of” have themeaning generally ascribed to them by U.S. Patent law. In particular,such terms are generally closed terms, with the exception of allowinginclusion of additional items, materials, components, steps, orelements, that do not materially affect the basic and novelcharacteristics or function of the item(s) used in connection therewith.For example, trace elements present in a composition, but not affectingthe composition's nature or characteristics would be permissible ifpresent under the “consisting essentially of” language, even though notexpressly recited in a list of items following such terminology. Whenusing an open ended term in the specification, like “comprising” or“including,” it is understood that direct support should be affordedalso to “consisting essentially of” language as well as “consisting of”language as if stated explicitly and vice versa.

The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in thedescription and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishingbetween similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particularsequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the termsso used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such thatthe embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operationin sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.Similarly, if a method is described herein as comprising a series ofsteps, the order of such steps as presented herein is not necessarilythe only order in which such steps may be performed, and certain of thestated steps may possibly be omitted and/or certain other steps notdescribed herein may possibly be added to the method.

The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top” “bottom,” “over”“under,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, areused for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describingpermanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms soused are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that theembodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operation inother orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.

The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as directly or indirectlyconnected in an electrical or nonelectrical manner. Objects describedherein as being “adjacent to” each other may be in physical contact witheach other, in close proximity to each other, or in the same generalregion or area as each other, as appropriate for the context in whichthe phrase is used. Occurrences of the phrase “in one embodiment,” or“in one aspect,” herein do not necessarily all refer to the sameembodiment or aspect.

As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete ornearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property,state, structure, item, or result. For example, an object that is“substantially” enclosed would mean that the object is either completelyenclosed or nearly completely enclosed, The exact allowable degree ofdeviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on thespecific context. However, generally speaking the nearness of completionwill be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and totalcompletion were obtained. The use of “substantially” is equallyapplicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the completeor near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state,structure, item, or result: For example, a composition that is“substantially free of” particles would either completely lackparticles, or so nearly completely lack particles that the effect wouldbe the same as if it completely lacked particles. In other words, acomposition that is “substantially free of” an ingredient or element maystill actually contain such item as long as there is no measurableeffect thereof.

As used herein, “adjacent” refers to the proximity of two structures orelements. Particularly, elements that are identified as being “adjacent”may be either abutting or connected. Such elements may also be near orclose to each other without necessarily contacting each other. The exactdegree of proximity may in some cases depend on the specific context.

As used herein, the term “about” is used to provide flexibility to anumerical range endpoint by providing that a given value may be “alittle above” or “a little below” the endpoint. It is understood thatexpress support is intended for exact numerical values in thisspecification, even when the term “about” is used in connectiontherewith.

It is to be understood that the examples set forth herein are notlimited to the particular structures, process steps, or materialsdisclosed, but are extended to equivalents thereof as would berecognized by those ordinarily skilled in the relevant arts. It shouldalso be understood that terminology employed herein is used for thepurpose of describing particular examples only and is not intended to belimiting.

Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics maybe combined in any suitable manner in one or more examples, in thedescription, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples oflengths, widths, shapes, etc., to provide a thorough understanding ofthe technology being described. One skilled in the relevant art willrecognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one ormore of the specific details, or with other methods, components,materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, oroperations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuringaspects of the invention.

While the foregoing examples are illustrative of the principles of theinvention in one or more particular applications, it will be apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications in form,usage and details of implementation can be made without the exercise ofinventive faculty, and without departing from the principles andconcepts described herein. Accordingly, it is not intended that theinvention be limited, except as by the claims set forth below.

What is claimed is:
 1. A floating shelf system comprising: a) a wallwith at least two studs and a wall panel covering the at least twostuds, the wall panel having at least two horizontal slots aligned withthe at least two studs; b) at least two floating shelf brackets mountedto and carried by the at least two studs with each bracket mounted to adifferent one of the at least two studs; c) a shelf mounted to andcarried by the at least two floating shelf brackets, and having at leasttwo bores aligned with the at least two floating shelf brackets; d) theat least two floating shelf brackets being contained in and hidden bythe wall and the shelf with a wall portion of each bracket receivedwithin the wall behind the wall panel and a shelf portion of eachbracket received within the at least two bores of the shelf; and e) eachof the at least two floating shelf brackets comprising: i) a pair ofvertical plates spaced-apart from one another and having a gap receivingone of the at least two studs therebetween with the pair of platesadjoining and coupled to the stud therebetween, each plate having adepth substantially the same as a depth of the stud, and a heightgreater than the depth; ii) a horizontal cantilevered beam coupled toand extending from the pair of plates and through one of the at leasttwo horizontal slots and into one of the at least two bores of theshelf, the beam having a proximal end coupled to the pair of plates anda distal free end, the horizontal cantilevered beam comprising: iii) afork with two prongs at the proximal end of he beam receiving the pairof plates between the prongs; iv) the prongs extending along a majorityof the depth of the pair of plates; v) the prongs coupled to the pair ofplates along an entire length of the prongs; vi) the two prongscomprising a pair of square tubes; vii) a center rectangular tubecoupled between the pair of square tubes; and viii) the pair of squaretubes and the center rectangular tube together forming a rectangularcross-section with a pair of intermediate webs extending between a topand a bottom of the rectangular cross-section.
 2. The system inaccordance with claim 1 wherein the shelf is a desk with an upperworking surface elevated at substantially 28 to 32 inches.
 3. The systemin accordance with claim 1, wherein the prongs are coupled to the pairof plates by a weld bead extending along an entire overlap between theprongs and the pair of plates on both a top and a bottom of the prongs.4. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the center rectangulartube is coupled to the pair of square tubes by weld beads along anentire length of the center rectangular tube.
 5. The system inaccordance with claim 1, further comprising: the pair of square tubesand the center rectangular tube having open free ends; a cap coveringthe open free ends; and at least one aperture in the cap configured toreceive a fastener.
 6. A bracket for a floating shelf system, thebracket comprising: a) a pair of plates spaced-apart from one another bya gap configured to receive a stud therebetween and configured to becoupled to the stud, each plate having a height greater than a depth; b)a horizontal cantilevered beam coupled to and extending from the pair ofplates and configured to extend through a slot in a wall panel covingthe stud, the beam having a proximal end coupled to the pair of platesand a distal free end, the horizontal cantilevered beam comprising: c) afork with two prongs at the proximal end of the beam receiving the pairof plates between the prongs; d) the prongs extending along a majorityof the depth of the pair of plates; e) the prongs coupled to the pair ofplates along an entire length of the prongs; and f) the two prongscomprising a pair of square tubes.
 7. The bracket in accordance withclaim 6, wherein the prongs are coupled to the pair of plates by a weldbead extending along an entire overlap between the prongs and the pairof plates on both a top and a bottom of the prongs.
 8. The bracket inaccordance with claim 6, wherein the horizontal cantilevered beamfurther comprises: a) a center rectangular tube coupled between the pairof square tubes; and b) the pair of square tubes and the centerrectangular tube together forming a rectangular cross-section with apair of intermediate webs extending between a top and a bottom of therectangular cross-section.
 9. The bracket in accordance with claim 8,wherein the center rectangular tube is coupled to the pair of squaretubes by weld beads along an entire length of the center rectangulartube.
 10. The bracket in accordance with claim 8, further comprising:the pair of square tubes and the center rectangular tube having openfree ends; a cap covering the open free ends; and at least one aperturein the cap configured to receive a fastener.
 11. A floating shelf systemcomprising at east two brackets in accordance with claim 6, the systemfurther comprising: a) a wall with at least two studs and a wall panelcovering the at least two studs, the wall panel having at least twohorizontal slots aligned with the at least two studs; b) the at leasttwo brackets mounted to and carried by the at least two studs with eachbracket mounted to a different one of the at least two studs; c) a shelfmounted to and carried by the at least two brackets, and having at leasttwo bores aligned with the at least two brackets; and d) the at leasttwo brackets being contained in and hidden by the wall and the shelfwith a wall portion of each bracket received within the wall behind thewall panel and a shelf portion of each bracket received within theshelf.
 12. The bracket in accordance with claim 6, further comprising: adesk mounted to and carried by the bracket, and having a bore receivingthe beam of the bracket.
 13. The bracket in accordance with claim 12,further comprising: the beam of the bracket having an oblongcross-sectional shape with a width greater than a height; and the boreof the desk having an oblong cross-sectional shape with a width greaterthan a height and substantially matching a cross-sectional shape of thebeam.
 14. A bracket for a floating shelf system, the bracket comprising:a) a pair of plates spaced-apart from one another by a gap configured toreceive a stud therebetween and configured to be coupled to the stud,each plate having a height greater than a depth; b) a horizontalcantilevered beam coupled to and extending from the pair of plates andconfigured to extend through a slot in a wall panel covering the stud,the beam having a proximal end coupled to the pair of plates and adistal free end, the beam comprising: c) a pair of square tubesspaced-apart from one another and receiving the pair of platestherebetween; d) a center rectangular tube coupled between the pair ofsquare tubes; and e) the pair of square tubes and the center rectangulartube together forming a rectangular cross-section with a pair ofintermediate webs extending between a top and a bottom of therectangular cross-section.
 15. The bracket in accordance with claim 14,wherein the center rectangular tube is coupled to the pair of squaretubes by weld beads along an entire length of the center rectangulartube.
 16. The bracket in accordance with claim 15, further comprising:the pair of square tubes and the center rectangular tube having openfree ends; a cap covering the open free ends; and at least one aperturein the cap configured to receive a fastener.
 17. The bracket inaccordance with claim 14, further comprising: a) the pair of squaretubes forming a fork with two prongs at the proximal end of the beamreceiving the pair of plates between the prongs; b) the prongs extendingalong a majority of the depth of the pair of plates; and c) the prongscoupled to the pair of plates along an entire length of the prongs. 18.The bracket in accordance with claim 17, wherein the prongs are coupledto the pair of plates by a weld bead extending along an entire overlapbetween the prongs and the pair of plates.
 19. A floating shelf systemcomprising at least two brackets in accordance with claim 14, the systemfurther comprising: a) a wall with at least two studs and a wall panelcovering the at least two studs, the wall panel having at least twohorizontal slots aligned with the at least two studs; b) the at leasttwo brackets mounted to and carried by the at least two studs with eachbracket mounted to a different one of the at least two studs; c) a shelfmounted to and carried by the at least two brackets, and having at leasttwo bores aligned with the at least two brackets; and d) the at leasttwo brackets being contained in and hidden by the wall and the shelfwith a wall portion of each bracket received within the wall behind thewall panel and a shelf portion of each bracket received within theshelf.
 20. The bracket in accordance with claim 14, further comprising:a desk mounted to and carried by the bracket, and a bore receiving thebeam of the bracket.